Footwear



Feb. 17, 1931.

FOOTWEAR Filed Dec. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN+DYZ A 6? EA @2 Maya; @ZMW 3g;

Feb. 17, 1931.

G. P. DIKE FOOTWEAR Filed D60. 20, 1928 INVENJ-m 9 (92%. JQQZZJW 2% 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1931" UNITED STATES GEORGE P. IDIKE, F BROOKLINE,"MASSACHUSETTS FOOTWEAR Application filed December 20,1928. Serial No. 327,379.

This invention relates to footwear and especially, although not exclusively, to overshoes of the type known as arctics. The object of the present invention is to prov de an overshoe, or other article of footwear, having an upper which will be close-fitting around the top of the upper, giving the same protection from snow and water as the 0rd1 nary buckled arctic, but canbe put on or taken ofl instantly, and will have a better appearance than overshoes as at present constructed. The article of footwear forming the subjectmatter of the present invention is an improvement on the one shown and described in my prior Patent, No. 1,685,216, dated January 20,1928.

The foregoingand other objects of the 1nvention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect will be under- 29 stood from the followingdescription of cortain forms or embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Itwill be understood however that, while the part cular constructions described and shown show 7 my present invention in the best form known to me, they are also illustrative and that the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended may be otherwise practised without departure from its spirit and scope. In the drawings, Fig. .1 is a front view in perspective of an overshoe embodying my invention.

7 Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the top of the upper distended.

Fig. 4 is a View of one of the clasps. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the two-posltlon spring hinge employed.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the hinge as viewed from the inside of the shoe.

Fig. 8 is a top plan of an overshoe having a different form of bellows or overlap.

Fig. 9 isa view in perspective showing the position of the parts when the overshoe 1s open.

Referring now to the drawings an'd'p articularly to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, at 11 is shown the upper of an overshoe. This upper is ciroumferentially closed and is folded upon iti self on each side to form two folds, 12 and 13.

These folds extend outwardly in either direction to the points 14 and 15, and the inner edge a and b of the two folds 12 and 13 respectively, diver e downwardly to the outer side of the shoe. This arrangement of the folds of the upper is that commonly employed at the present time in arctics of the two, three and four -clasp type.

At 16 (see also Figs. 4,5, 6 and 7) is shown one of the clasps by means of which the folds of the upper are held in the desired position, either open or closed as the case may be.

hese clasps comprise a back member 17 and two forwardly extending arms 18 and 19 hinged together at 20 and 21. The forwardly extending arms are of a length determined by the size and shapeof the fold. The hinges 20 and 21 are placed on sides of the upper; i. e., the inner and outer sides of the leg of the wearer, respectively,'and are about opposite each other, the exact position being de termined by the size and shape of the folds and, to some extent, by conditions under which the article is to be used. Preferably, two hinges as shown aroused, but under-some conditions it'may be suflicient to use merely the one 21 on the outer side of the upper. The clasp is preferably made from some spring material so that, in addition to bcndin g upon the hinges, it can yield somewhat. Each of the hinges 20 and 21 is of the twoposition spring type so that ifthe parts are inthe positions-hown' in Figs. 2 or 4, the arms will tend to stay in'this position and hold the foldsof the upper yieldingly against the leg of thewearer, and if the upper is opened so that the arms of the hinge are moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, they willtend to remain in this position and resistany force which tends to close them. One way of making such a hinge is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Asshown in those figures, the back member 17 has two arms 22 hinged to two ears 23 on the arm 19.- The back member also has a spring tongue 24; which extends by the axis of thehinge and engages a spring cam member or finger 25 struck up from the arm 19. V i r r 1 In the drawings, I have shown two clasps 16, one at the top ofthe upper and the other n top so that the foot may be easily inserted.

partway down. it will be understood that any desired number of clasps may be used, and that their location will be determined by the size and cut of the overshoe and the conditions under which it is to be worn. hen desired to open the overshoe to put it on, the arms turn about their respective hinges into the position shown in 3 and will remain in this position, holding open the if the wearer desires to wear the overshoe wnth the top open, the spring iinges hold the arms of the clasp in this position so that the upper flaps much less than overshoes as ordinarily constructed. If the wearer desires, the arm on the inside of the leg be closed while the arm on the outside of the leg may be left in open position.

The overshoe can be closed simply by pushing the fold into closed position, and it is not necessary to manipulate any buckles or to stoop down for any considerable period of time as has heretofore been necessary with overshoes of ordinary construction.

In Fig. 8 and 9, I have shown the overshoe embodying my invention as having a single outer fold 30 of the construction shown and described in my prior application. In this case, only one clasp is ordinarily necessary, and this clasp has longer arms, 31 and 32, which overlap each other on the front of the overshoe.

It will be understood that in general and. particularly for low-cut overshoes only one clasp is necessary.

The construction of clasp described herein which has two hinges on the sides of the ankle has the great advantage that when open it does not obstruct the entrance of the foot into the overshoe as is the case with a clasp having a single hinge at the back. Furthermore, since there are two hinges, double the force tending to keep the overshoe closed is exerted, and this force is much more effective since the distance from the hinge to the open end of the clasp is much less and the leverage of any force tending to open the overshoe less by that amount. The result of my two-hinge construction is an overshoe which can be put on and taken off easily and which will stay closed under all conditions.

hat I claim is:

1. An article of footwear having an upper portion which overlaps other portions, and a circumferential clasp associated with the upper and having spring hinge on the side of the leg of the upper above the ankle.

2. An article of footwear having a circumferentially closed upper folded upon itself, and a circumferential clasp having two spring hinges on the outer and inner sides of the leg of the upper.

3. nn article of footwear having an upper folded upon itself, and a circumferential clasp open at the fronthaving a two-position GEORGE P. DZKE. 

